Somali pirates use new boarding techniques

Somali pirates have been coming up with new techniques to board merchant vessels that are using razor wire and/or electrical wire as defensive measures to prevent unauthorized boardings, says NATO. The pirates use big iron sticks on the electrical wire in order to provoke electrical malfunction. They sometimes throw blankets and ladders over the wire to circumvent this security measure and then they place on the blankets either surf boards or aluminum ladders to make easier the access on lower deck. Simultaneously, pirates in skiffs shoot at the vessel to facilitate the boarding attempt.

NATO says that mariners are advised to incorporate this information into their practices using all suitable tools described in "Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy".

A new edition of the "Best Management Practices" is now available HERE